The Contrast
December 1792
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 11 1/16 × 16 1/2 in. (28.1 × 41.9 cm) Plate: 10 3/4 × 14 13/16 in. (27.3 × 37.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund and Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, by Exchange, 1970
Accession Number
1970.541.59
Tags
Art Historical Context
Thomas Rowlandson’s *The Contrast* (December 1792) is a quintessential example of the artist’s sharp-witted satirical etchings from the late Georgian era. A master caricaturist, Rowlandson produced thousands of prints lampooning British society’s follies, from politics to everyday vices. This hand-pulled etching, measuring about 11 by 16 inches, captures his fluid line work and exaggerated figures, hallmarks of a technique that allowed for intricate details and rapid commentary on contemporary life. Etching’s acidic bite into copper plates enabled affordable, reproducible satires that circulat...
About the Artist
Thomas Rowlandson · 1756–1827
Thomas Rowlandson (1757–1827) was an English artist and caricaturist whose satirical watercolors and prints captured the social life of Georgian Britain with unparalleled wit and technical mastery. Alongside James Gillray, he is recognized as one of the greatest British graphic artists, and his distinctive flowing line and keen observations have made his work integral to understanding late 18th an...